Hey New Writers, 3 Dead-Simple Steps That Took Me From “Stuck” to 969 NEW SUBS in 8 Months
Small actions compounded into real newsletter growth and how you can copy them starting today to crush your goals before year-end
Let me take a wild guess. You joined the Online Writing Club because you want to get paid to be you 😉 — not to chase followers on social media, not to post every single day, but to turn your words into income.
One of our longtime members and author of 8 (!) books, Neera Mahajan from Canberra/Australia, lately earned her LinkedIn Top Voice badge (and lost it again). Pretty amazing, right?
In today’s guest pause, she’s breaking down the 3 simple steps that helped her grow her email list, without a big subscriber list or mega viral post.
🎉 Bonus: Stick around till the end (or just scroll down if you’re impatient). Neera’s got a special offer just for Club members and you’ll even find me inside her program as as and inspirational speaker.
Now let’s hear from Neera…
At the start of this year, I was staring at my Substack dashboard, feeling… stuck.
I had 958 subscribers, which was exciting, but I wasn’t growing at all for months..
The truth was, I never actively tried to grow my newsletter.
I was happy showing up every week and practising my writing muscle.
But not anymore.
But in January this year, I made a decision – I was going to grow my newsletter no matter what.
But how?
Most of the advice I read by other Substackers didn’t resonate with me.
So, I asked myself a simple question: What can I do, consistently, to grow my newsletter?
The answer turned out to be surprisingly simple actions. Just 3 repeatable steps that compounded over time.
The result? I added 969 new subscribers and grew my audience to 1965, in 8 months.
In this post, I’m walking you through the exact three actions I took and how you can adapt them to grow your own newsletter.
Step 1: I Started writing 2 Notes a day
This was the biggest game-changer.
Until January this year, I thought Notes were where you post link to your recent newsletter issue and with some blurb enticing people to read it. I considered it an extra step I had to do to make my post visible. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Notes are the ‘engine room of discovery’ on Substack.
In January and February, I wrote a note a day for 50 days without a break. That little exercise added 112 new subscribers to my newsletter.
Not a heap, but enough to show me the power of writing a note a day.
In June, I upped my game and started a challenge to write 2 Notes a day for 30 days. Not only that, I invited my subscribers to do the same. Every day, in my chat, I posted a prompt and wrote a Note about it.
Some days, that note was no longer than a sentence. Other days, there were quick tips, questions, or reflections on my writing journey. Nothing extraordinary. No great insights. Just me showing up.
Here’s what happened:
Visibility exploded. Notes pushed me into people’s feeds every single day.
Engagement picked up. Readers responded to short, relatable thoughts more than my long essays.
Momentum built. The more I showed up, the more the algorithm rewarded me.
One of those Notes went viral. It wasn’t something profound. Just my story. That Note alone brought in 363 new subscribers.
It happened because I was consistent. I learned, growth doesn’t come from one-off heroic efforts. It comes from showing up in small, consistent ways that compound.
Step 2: I used Substack’s Recommendation feature
For a long time, I ignored recommendations feature. I thought, “If people like my work, they’ll find me.”
But here’s the thing I learned: the best way to grow on Substack is by tapping into other writers’ audiences and recommendations are the simplest way to do that.
So I started small. I recommended writers I genuinely read and enjoyed. I wasn’t trying to game the system or swap links. I just highlighted people whose work aligned with mine.
Here’s what happened:
It created reciprocity. Many of those writers checked out my publication and, in turn, recommended me back.
It built a community feeling. I wasn’t just growing numbers; I was building relationships with peers.
It unlocked new readers. When someone trusted a writer enough to subscribe to them, they often trusted their recommendations too.
Over the months, I noticed a steady trickle of subscribers coming directly from recommendations. By people who were already primed to enjoy my writing because they came via someone they trusted.
Today, over 97 publications are recommending me and I have gained 787 subscribers from those recommendations.
The best part? It didn’t require me to hustle harder. Recommendations worked quietly in the background, connecting me to audiences I wouldn’t have reached on my own.
I learned not to grow in isolation. Growth multiplies when you share audiences and build genuine connections with fellow writers.
Step 3: I launched the 90-Day Write-Grow-Monetize Program
In March, I launched my 90-Day Write-Grow-Monetize (WGM) Program. It was a structured system to help writers grow their audience and start making money from their newsletters.
This step wasn’t just about subscriber growth. It was about creating energy and momentum around my newsletter.
At first, I thought it would only attract a few of my existing readers. But what I didn’t realize was that launching a program acts like a magnet.
Here’s why it worked:
It created buzz. People started talking about it, sharing it, and forwarding my newsletter to friends.
It positioned me as an authority. Running a program showed I wasn’t just writing about ideas. I was teaching and guiding others through them.
It attracted the right readers. Many joined the program, but others subscribed for free just to follow along.
Some of my fastest growth came directly after the 5-day launch sequence. Every time I sent an email talking about the program, readers pressed the ‘Become a Paid Subscriber’ button.
I learned that growth is about creating offers that attract people to your world. When you put something valuable into the world, it naturally pulls readers in.
Growth Is Simpler Than You Think
When I look back, the 969 new subscribers didn’t come from some secret growth hack. They came from three dead-simple steps:
Writing 2 Notes a day. Showing up consistently in small, easy ways.
Using the recommendation feature. Leaning on the power of community.
Launching a program where I taught something in a structured way.
None of these required advanced tools, ads, or endless hustle. They only required consistency, generosity, and a willingness to put myself out there.
If you’re stuck at a subscriber plateau, I hope this post gives you a nudge.
Pick one of these actions and start today.
The compounding effect is real, and the results will surprise you.
📫Your Turn
Which of these 3 steps could you put into action right now?
Hit reply and tell me. I’d love to know!
Hi, Neera here, check out my 90-Day Write-Grow-Monetize Program (for paid subs)
And if you want to grow in a community, become a paid subscriber and join me inside the 90-Day Write-Grow-Monetize Program. I am starting the second iteration of the program from mid-October. This time it’s in cohort form.
I’ll be hosting live workshops and Q&A sessions to help every paid subscriber refine their offer and grow their Substack, step by step, with guidance and community.
👉🏻For you as an Online Writing Club member, I have an ultra special for you today:
This includes all Workshops, Skill Sessions, the full 90-Day Write-Grow-Monetize Program, and all of past and future content.
I have made it so affordable so that you don’t have to think twice to join:
The first skill session is on 16 October.
🥳BONUS: A special November session where Kristina joins as an inspirational speaker.
⭐P.S. Fired up? Want more from Neera before you join?
Our YouTube interview on her LinkedIn Top Voice and content strategy
Her LinkedIn-Substack strategy (masterclass replay with Gunnar Habitz)
Liked this? Support an indie publisher and part-time mompreneur and ♻️SHARE ♻️this story so more people like you can read it.
🙏🏻Support Neera with a 💓(Like it!) and ♻️(Share!)
 | A guest post by
|